Unlike my last critique, this one will have a decent amount
of material that is arguable, in the classical sense of having logical analysis
and arguments which are falsifiable. However, the essay as a whole is once
again a personal one; it is a personal response to a meme I have encountered
online. Therefore, on a thesis level this essay is not falsifiable. Sorry, Enlightenment Rationalists.
One other pre-thesis note: I am afraid I may drop into second
person in the latter part of this piece. I am afraid of this because I largely
despise the use of second person in non-fiction (there are a decent amount of legitimate uses for it in fiction),
and almost universally despise its use in the non-fiction of persons who are
not at, say, the G.K. Chesterton level of essay-writing skill—those who can
name at least two reasons for any specific word choice in anything they write.
My use of second person here is due to the fact that I am responding to a meme
which is written in the imperative mode, thus implying a second-person address
even though no form of “you” actually appears in it. Thus, for consistency and
coherence, I will say that any form of “you” that I use can be considered a
response to the original author of the meme, whoever he or she may be.
The meme, which I have encountered more than once over the
course of wasting time on the internet, goes like this:
GOD DOES NOT EXIST. NOW RELAX AND ENJOY LIFE!
Usually upon encountering this, I simply roll my eyes and
move on. But today, perhaps for lack of a more constructive use of my time, I
have decided to examine the implications of this meme, starting with rhetorical
analysis.
The author, as with most memes, is probably not traceable, so
it is admittedly a presumption that the author is an atheist. However, since I
have encountered the meme on multiple avowedly atheist forums and webpages, and
have both known and read avowed atheists who have said similar things, it
doesn't seem terribly straw-mannish to assume that this is an atheistic bit of
rhetoric.
It is interesting to look at the presumed audience for this
meme. Since the meme is simply declarative and imperative, to take it at face
value would be to assume that it is directed at anyone who reads it. Therefore,
the audience could theoretically be “anyone who can read English.” However, the
wording implies that the members of the audience either believe in God or are
trying to decide if they do—people who do not believe in God would not need to
be told of God's non-existence. I suppose it could be meant as reassurance to
those who already don't believe in God, but the only people who would be
affected by acceptance of the message are those who do or might believe. Where
it gets interesting is the further presumption: due to believing in God, I am not
relaxed. Whatever state of being I as the reader fill in—upset, paranoid,
guilty, awe-struck, trembling—apparently stops me from being relaxed, and from
enjoying life.
To round out the basic rhetorical analysis I need to look at
purpose. To again take the implications at face value, this meme is attempting
to deliver a message. Here I am not claiming to know the author's original
intent, options for which are manifold, but simply to be looking at the text
itself. As I've said, the text is in the imperative mode, as if it is giving me
(the reader) instructions, or perhaps suggestions. Therefore if I respond to
the text as if I am responding to instructions or suggestions, I am merely
taking that text at face value.
So God does not exist. This is apparently supposed to free
me, so that I can relax and enjoy my life.
Except, wait.
I know a lot of people who have grown up with a God who seems
like an angry, sentient lightning storm with arbitrary rules, a God who makes
lists of correct behaviors and draws these really tight lines around How People
Should Act and anyone who steps outside of those lines just gets zapped, kapow.
I've even known some people who think this is an accurate description of the
God of the Bible. I suppose, if I believed in a God like that, it would be a
relief if someone told me He didn't exist.
But I believe in a God who is the opposite of that sort of
god. The God whose Spirit breathed the Bible into men's ears is a God who hopes
all things, believes all things, and bears all things—including all of the
things I am too weak to bear—and a God whose grace never fails. To use extreme
terms, I could hate my God with the most passionate hatred I am capable of, and
He would only ever respond with love, would only ever accept me back the
instant I asked.
To understand what I mean, meme author, imagine you met the
man or woman of your dreams. Imagine that this person is the only one you ever wanted
to be with. Now imagine that they loved you, unconditionally and irretrievably.
Now imagine that they set down some rules, say, “Don't sleep with anyone else;
don't snore; don't arbitrarily spill water all over the floor.” Imagine that you
broke all of these rules in the same day, or the same hour. Imagine that while
being understandably annoyed, and perhaps making you, say, wipe up the water
you spilled on the floor, your significant other accepted you back
unconditionally.
Now imagine that someone came up to you and said, “Your
significant other doesn't exist. Now relax and enjoy life!” and assume that
somehow this made it true (on the fallacy of which, see common sense). You'd
suddenly be free to sleep with anyone you wanted. It wouldn't matter if you
snored. You could spit water all over the floor (and the walls, and the
ceiling, for that matter). But would you actually be relaxed? Would it actually
be more enjoyable?
As far as analogies (an inherently simplifying and limiting
technique) go, that one is as good as any.
The God I believe in is capable of bringing grace out of
anything. The very concept is staggering. It means that no matter what decision
I make—whether it's the right decision or the wrong one, a good decision or a
bad one—God will redeem it and make it a blessing. As far as ideas that allow
me to relax and enjoy life, this is the best one I've ever encountered.
Don't misunderstand: the whole thing is not easy. Things that
are worthwhile are never easy.
To sum up, meme author, you are of course allowed to believe
what you want to, and to declare that belief. But to assume that you are
freeing me by attempting to take away my God is almost indescribably arrogant
and foolish.
